Former Tibetan political prisoner Golog Jigme meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on July 26, 2018 at the U.S. Department of State, in Washington, D.C. Photo: TPI

President Dr Lobsang Sangay with the Thank You India Souvenir – A Dharmachakra representing the wheel of Universal Truth, at the press conference at Press Club of India on January 18, 2018. Photo: CTA/DIIR/Tenzin Phende

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Dharamshala — The Dharamshala International Film Festival kicked off its sixth year with the screening of Mukti Bhawan to an audience of several hundred at Upper TCV in Dharamshala on November 2nd.

Dharamshala — The Dharamshala International Film Festival kicked off its sixth year with the screening of Mukti Bhawan to an audience of several hundred at Upper TCV in Dharamshala on November 2nd.

The festival founders Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin introduced the four-day festival, which this year is featuring over 33 feature films and documentaries, 14 short films and five children’s films.

The opening film featured a special guest, as lead actor Adil Hussian, presented the film.

“This year’s special screening for Tibetan viewers is the world premier of ‘Out Of This World’. It is an updated version of an expedition film shot in 1949 by Lowell Thomas Sr and his son Lowell Thomas Jr during their three-months trip to Lhasa,” said Tenzing Sonam, Director of the festival.

Following the death of Lowell Thomas Jr last year, his daughter Anne Thomas will be presenting this film along with David Wright, the person responsible for giving Thomases’ old film a new life. “I think my father will be very happy. We have talked about it (film) earlier and he knew that we were going to do the project and he was very excited, said Anne.

The opening night began with a song performed by students of Upper TCV followed by prize distribution to the winners of DIFF’s Film Appreciation Competition, a community outreach of DIFF. 45 students from six different schools including Upper TCV and Petoen School competed in this competition. Samdon Lhamo from Petoen School won the first prize in the junior division.

Noted actor Konkona Sen Sharma will present her directorial debut ‘Death in the Gunj’ on Saturday.

The festival began in 2012, with the aim of bringing high-quality independent cinema to the mountains, encouraging local filmmaking talent, and creating a meaningful platform to engage the area’s diverse communities.